Safes are hard to ignore and
hard
to lose. It's too bad the same can't be said about their history. Please contact me if you have
anything to add to the below,
the beginnings of an attempt to track the stories of our historic
safes.

SAFES.--Parties wishing
to purchase fire and robber proof safes are asked to look at Tillman's
advertisement. Safes of his manufacture can be seen at Beekman's,
Anderson & Glenn's, Love & Bilger's and other business
houses in town. They are the best manufactured.Oregon
Sentinel, Jacksonville, November 24, 1860, page 3

A BOLD ROBBERY.--About 5 o'clock Wednesday morning, while Mr. Joseph
Wetterer and his employees were at work in the adjoining brewery, his
safe, which stood in a back room of the beer saloon, was
opened
and $375 abstracted therefrom. The robber or robbers were evidently
well acquainted with the premises and the habits of the occupants, and
must have been provided with skeleton keys. It was a daringly planned
and well-executed crime. No clue has been obtained as to the robbers.
Have we a Schultz among us?Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, July 15, 1871, page 3

A. L. Johnson has received a fine
burglar-proof safe from San Francisco this week."Here and There," Democratic Times,
Jacksonville, June 22, 1883, page 3

Jacksonville's City Hall safe, July 2015.
"MacNeale" was misspelled during an early restoration. "Pond
& Smith" (the names painted on the upper edge of the safe) were
likely the San Francisco cigar manufacturers, who closed in 1893.

HANDSOME SAFES.--Several parties in this county have been investing in
safes from the well known San Francisco house of Raymond &
Wilshire, agents for MacNeale & Urban, and in every case have
been fully satisfied with their purchase. We have no hesitancy in
recommending this firm, as we know whereof we speak when we say that
they do as they agree to and furnish only superior goods.Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, July 6, 1883, page 3

REAL BURGLAR-PROOF SAFE.--The
burglar-proof
safe for the Bank of Ashland was received last week, and it is
undoubtedly the best safe in Oregon south of Portland. It was made by
the Hall Safe and Lock Company. Its dimensions outside are only
46x31x24 inches; yet it weighs nearly 4,500 lbs., being made of solid
steel, with walls three inches thick, composed of seven chilled-steel
plates. Inside the safe is the burglar box, with the additional
security of [the] most improved lock, and chilled-steel walls of five
plates. The safe has the time lock. This is not made as a fireproof
safe, but is to be set inside the massive walls of the fireproof vault
in the center of the bank building, when the treasures it encloses will
be about as secure from fire and theft as human ingenuity can make them.Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, July 25, 1889, page 3

Angle & Plymale of Medford have
added a fine 2,500 pound, double door safe to their establishment which
looks as if they
were going into the banking business."Local Items," Oregon
Sentinel, Jacksonville, August 9, 1884, page 3

Angle & Plymale, the
enterprising Medford merchants, have invested in a huge safe. They
evidently intend to do a big business."Here and There,"
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, August 15, 1884, page 3

The Sentinel
of last Saturday says: An effort was made to break open John Orth's
safe one night this week but the robbers were evidently scared off
before they could complete the job. There was very little money in the
safe at the time but Johnny says he objects to having his safe spoiled."Brevities," Ashland
Tidings, October 10, 1884, page 3

Three new fireproof safes arrived on
Monday's freight train for parties in town. One was for the Ashland
Mills, one for Hunsaker & Dodge and the other for Billings."Brevities," Ashland
Tidings, December 12, 1884, page 3

A. L. Johnson of Medford has put a vault in his new business quarters."Here and There," Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, September 11, 1885, page 3

A. L. Reuter has purchased A. L.
Johnson's large burglar-proof safe, and it was brought up from Medford
a few days since."Here and There," Democratic Times,
Jacksonville, December 24, 1886, page 3

Says the Medford Monitor:
We are pleased to announce that negotiations are pending for the
establishment of a bank at this place with ample capital. Our safe, now
in use, will be exchanged for a massive time lock steel chest for the
use of the bank."Here
and There," Ashland Tidings, December 24,
1886, page 3

For sale--a first-class Detroit safe, almost new. Will be sold at a
bargain. Apply to the Times
office for particulars."Here
and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, March
4, 1887 et seq., page 3

Miller &
Strang of the Post Office Store have just received a large and handsome
safe. This betokens prosperity."Medford
Squibs,"
Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
February 24, 1888, page 2

There
is a prospect now of a $15,000 flouring mill being erected [in
Medford],
and our new
bank is ready to receive its $1,000 safe, which will add much to the
security of our little earnings.Excerpt, "A Sunny Land," Waukesha (Wisconsin)
Freeman, March
1, 1888, page 6

The new burglar-proof safe for the bank
at this
place arrived last week, and is one of the finest safes in Oregon. Its
cost was $1024. It is one of Hall's automatic, bolt-work,
double-combination time locks, and has no combination on the outside
with which a burglar could tinker. Its double Howard movements prevent
trouble with the time lock. One movement may stop entirely, but the
other will throw the lock. Or if both should get out of order, the lock
is thrown in consequence. The safe is of solid, chilled steel, and
weighs 2750 pounds, though only 22x22 inches horizontal measurement,
and 35 inches high, including the wheels. This safe, inside a fireproof
vault, renders valuables as secure as they can be on this earth."Medford Items," Ashland Tidings, October
5, 1888, page 2

The safe of Davis & France of the Medford roller
mills was blown open by burglars Wednesday night but the box,
containing but $40 as luck would have it, was captured by the burglars.
Citizens should exercise unusual caution during the coming week. There
are always a number of cracksmen following the fairs on the circuit."Medford Squibs,"Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, September 26, 1889, page 3

Safe-Crackers at Medford.

Burglars
entered the flouring mill at Medford and blew open the office safe at
some time between Wednesday evening and yesterday morning. They
obtained some $40 in cash for their trouble, and up to last evening no
clue to the identity or whereabouts of the thieves was reported.Ashland
Tidings, September 27, 1889, page 3

The bank safe of the
Jackson County Bank
is a "multum in parvo" arrangement, a regular jewel of a safe, weighing
but 800 pounds, yet perfectly burglar and dynamite proof, with
chilled-steel bolts, and the latest design of time locks, with dial
chronometer, etc. The engraving is very fine, and the cost of the safe
was $800."Medford Squibs," Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
January 30, 1890, page 3

The Festive Burglar.

Last Monday morning Jos. Sheridan on going to open his safe at Central
Point found that some accommodating rascal had opened it for him the
night before, using a stick of dynamite for a key. The injudicious use
of this foreign substance had proved the ruin of the safe, the door
having been blown completely off its hinges. The contents of the safe
were intact with the exception of $300 in coin, which the burglar had
appropriated. The rascal was evidently hurried in his departure, as he
neglected to discover a $10 bill between the leaves of the day book.
The matter was promptly reported to the sheriff, but no clue having
been furnished as to the identity of the burglar, no arrests have yet
been made.

Democratic
Times, Jacksonville, April 24, 1890, page 3

Safe Cracked at
Central Point.

Central
Point is assuming metropolitan frills. It had a safe robbery last
Sunday night. The office safe in the hardware store of Sheridan Bros.
was blown open about midnight, and the burglars secured about $300 cash
which it contained. The job was effectually but not very skillfully
done. Too much powder was used and the safe was blown all to pieces,
portions of it being driven through the sides of the building, and the
rear end of the store building was shattered. An old gentleman living
in the nearest house to the store was awakened by the shock and the
noise, but was too sleepy to get up and see what was the matter, so the
robbery was not discovered till Monday morning. There was no clue to
the robbers, but some people think they did not come from a great
distance.Ashland
Tidings, April 25, 1890, page 3

Another door will be put in the vault at the courthouse,
which
has already been received from San Francisco. It will open into the
recorder's new office.

Recorder Holmes now occupies pleasant quarters in the rooms formerly
occupied by Judge Prim, in the northwest corner of the courthouse,
which has been neatly arranged for the purpose. A small vault has been
built for the accommodation of the county records.

The safe crackers who have been plying their trade at different places
in Oregon along the line of the S.P.R.R. have come as far as Ashland,
and on Wednesday night gave the people here a sample of their
handicraft, and taught us how easy it is for a professional man to go
through an ordinary fireproof office safe. At some time after the
electric lights were put out Wednesday night the burglars effected an
entrance to the post office through he window at the rear end, and
apparently had all the time they needed to do their work. they drilled
a half-inch hole through the front of the safe near the combination
knob and then inserted a strong cold chisel or some tool of that sort
and broke off short the shaft which held the tumbler of the lock. This
let the lock turn without any difficulty, and they were not compelled
to use any powder at all. They obtained about two hundred dollars in
cash, but did not take any postage stamps, of which a considerable
quantity was in the safe.
When Frank Hammond opened the office in
the morning he saw an old purse and the brace the burglars had used
lying on the floor, and also found a candle that had given them the
light they needed. And then he discovered that the safe had been opened
and robbed.
Thus far there is no clue that can lead
to the detection or capture of the robbers. They are old hands at the
business, and no doubt are safely out of the country with their spoils.
It is not known whether Postmaster
Hammond will have to stand any of the loss or not, but a postal
inspector will probably be here tomorrow to look up the matter.
(The latest is that the suspicion points
strongly to a certain individual who has been in town for a day or two
and left yesterday, and that Deputy Sheriff Taylor is on his track.)
Several tramps were searched by Marshal
Mayfield at the depot yestermorning, but had
nothing suspicious about them.Ashland
Tidings, February 20, 1891, page 3

Pritchard, the jeweler, last week
received direct from the factory a fine new safe for the better
protection of his large stock."Medford Squibs," Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
January 1, 1892, page 2

Chas. Strang's new safe is in place in
his drug store and is a beauty."Local and General," Southern Oregon Mail,
September 23, 1892, page 3

A new and much larger safe has been
added to the necessary office furniture of the Hotel Medford."All the Local News," Medford Mail, July
28, 1893, page 3

A Valuable Addition to Our Bank.

Beekman & Reams this week received one of the finest safes in
the
state. It is absolutely fire and burglar proof, the manufacturers
Herring, Hall and Co. offering a large sum to anyone who can open it in
24 hours. Although not a large safe, it weighs nearly 5000 pounds and
cost $1000. It is very solid and made of steel of the best quality,
being fitted up with the latest and most improved devices for the
safety of the money, bonds, etc. that may be placed in it, including a
time lock. The banking house of Beekman & Reames, while always
being staunch and reliable financially, now offers better inducements
than ever to depositors.

Democratic Times, September
8, 1893, page 2

There is some talk that the county will
soon invest
in a big safe. There are other things much more necessary than
this--repairs on the bridges and roads which are in a bad condition,
for instance."Local Notes," Democratic Times, Jacksonville,
July 7, 1898, page 3

A large safety vault has been provided for the [Medford] bank's
treasure and valuable papers. This has cold air ventilation and is
positively fireproof. Inside this is a Diebold safe--a double timer, of
the best of steel, and burglar proof."A New Banking House," Medford Mail, June
23, 1899, page 6

Gold Hill Robbery.

At Gold Hill last Saturday night the building occupied by Reames Bros.'
store, and also used by W. T. Reames as a post office, was entered by
burglars, who opened the safe and removed therefrom a considerable
amount of money. An entrance was effected by breaking out a panel of
the door at the rear of the building. After gaining an entrance they
proceeded to drill a one-fourth-inch hole in the top of the large
fireproof safe. It is thought they used nitroglycerin in their
operations, although a few grains of powder were found, but they were
accounted for by the probable use of powder in setting of the fuse. The
front door of the safe was thrown about eight feet by the explosion,
and the inside door was also blown out by explosives, everything
indicating that a heavy charge had been used. The robbery was not
discovered until early Sunday morning, when the office was opened for
business. The private papers of the firm were nearly all destroyed by
the explosion. A sack containing $250 in gold dust was undisturbed, as
was also $600 worth of postage stamps. The box containing the money
order business was broken open and the contents removed, with the
exception of a small amount of change, while the box containing stamps
and money was rifled and left in the back yard. The drawer containing
the firm's money was not found. It is estimated that the burglars took
about $337 of the post office funds and at least $50 belonging to
Reames Bros.
Sheriff Orme has been following all
probable clues but has not been able to locate the robbers.Medford Mail, August
31, 1900, page 2

Jeweler E. D. Elwood
this week received
from Portland a fine, large fireproof safe. His new building will soon
be ready for occupancy. Mr. Elwood proposes to have one of the neatest
jewelry stores in Southern Oregon."Additional
Local," Medford Mail, May 10, 1901, page 6

Postmaster Merriman has
recently put a
new safe into the Medford post office--built especially for the
accommodation of post office business. It's a big one--and a good one."Additional
Local," Medford Mail, June
21, 1901, page 6

Burglars broke into W. J. Freeman's
harness shop one night last week, but in trying to open the safe broke
the knob off the door and gave up the attempt. They first broke into F.
A. Hawk's blacksmith shop, where they procured tools. They then entered
W. C. Leever's hardware store by removing a pane of glass, robbed the
till of $5 or $6 in small change, and took a lot of cartridges which
they opened to get the powder with which to open the safe at Freeman's."Central
Point Items," Medford
Mail, August 29, 1902, page 3

Three of our business men
received new safes this week, all made by the Hall Safe and Lock Co.
They were Pottenger and Cox and Orr and Demmer, who each got a
small-sized safe, and Hubbard Bros., who installed one of larger
proportions."Additional
Local," Medford Mail, May
1, 1903, page 6

An up-to-date, modern safe was received
by the First National Bank, of Medford Monday. The safe weighs 2,400
pounds.Medford
Mail, June 9, 1905, page 5

New Bank Opens.

The
First National Bank of Medford opened its doors for business Thursday
morning in the Phipps Building, corner of B and Seventh streets, which
will be the temporary home of the bank for some months at least. The
office fixtures of the bank are of eastern quarter sawed oak and of
neat and tasty design. The railings are set upon a polished marble
foundation, and the slabs at the cashier's and paying teller's windows
are of the same kind of stone. Two safes of the latest pattern--one of
them being of manganese steel, regarded as fire, water and burglar
proof--complete the office equipment at present. The bank commences
under favorable conditions, and the personnel of its officers gives
assurance of its stability. The officers are: William S. Crowell,
president; F. K. Deuel, vice-president; M. L. Alford, cashier.Medford
Mail, June 16, 1905, page 4

Grants Pass draymen
will have to remove
their headgear hereafter when in the presence of Medford draymen. A
couple of weeks since, a professional man of that city purchased a very
large safe--and a very heavy one it was, too. The professional man's
office was in the second story of one of the business blocks. The
draymen of that city just naturally said it "couldn't be did"--couldn't
get it up there, nohow. Messrs. A. Slover and H. G. Shearer, Medford
draymen, were consulted and their services were engaged. They went to
Grants Pass on the evening train--and returned the same evening--and
presto, and fairy-like, and while they waited, in Grants Pass the safe
was landed within the walls of the aforesaid professional man's office."City Happenings," Medford Mail, October
6, 1905, page 5

Safe Crackers at Grants Pass.

The safe of the Harth Clothing Company at Grants Pass was broken open
Friday night and about $140 taken.
Entrance to the store was gained through
the back
door. The wooden gate in the alley to the rear of the store was tied
with a wire to prevent interruption, and the iron doors were pried open
with an ax. A hole was cut through another door so that the catch could
be turned. A half-inch bit was used on the safe combination. Then a
drill was inserted and struck with a hammer, knocking the inside loose
and allowing the door to open. Nothing was disturbed except the cash.
The safe faced on and was about three feet from the window on the
street. The work evidently was done by an expert and there is no clue.Medford
Mail, November 10, 1905, page 1

If a further guarantee of safety from fire and burglars
were necessary it is afforded by a massive, manganese steel,
burglar-proof safe, with time locks and every modern device for
resisting the arts of the most skilled burglar. As yet, criminal
history records no instance of the successful plundering of one of
these safes.
"First National in New Home,"
Medford Mail, November 23, 1906, page 1

The
Pacific Banker, February
2, 1907

New Safe Installed

The Central Point State
Bank received a new fire and burglar proof safe this week and had it
installed in the bank Tuesday. The safe is one of the very latest in
design of manganese steel fitted with time lock and all the latest
improvements. It weighs almost two tons and is as nearly an absolute
protection against fire and burglars as it is possible to buy.Central Point Herald, August
8, 1907, page 1

The Pacific Banker, February
2, 1907

The Pacific Banker, March 28, 1908

The Pacific Banker, March 28, 1908

"The Oaks"

Mr.
Geo. M. Bordeaux, recently from British Columbia, where for several
years he has been the general manager of the liquor and cigar
department of the Hudson Bay Co., has recently purchased the Murphy
& Downing cafe, in Medford, adjoining the Hotel Emerick, and is
having the place refitted and improved to such an extent as will make
it one of the very neatest and most up-to-date resorts in that city. A
new departure in places of this kind is a large fire- and burglar-proof
steel safe, in which are provided a number of safety deposit boxes for
the use of customers and others who may arrive in the city after
banking hours and wish to place their valuables in a safe place
overnight. Each box is provided with two keys, both of which are
necessary to open it, one being given to the customer and one retained
by the proprietor or manager of the house.Excerpt,
Central Point Herald, February 25, 1909, page 1

A large safe weighing
2500 pounds, made
by the Hall Safe Co. of Cincinnati, O., was also received yesterday [by
the Pacific & Eastern Railroad].Medford Mail, October
1, 1909, page 1

DOC RYAN MEETS WITH A PAINFUL
ACCIDENT

A
painful accident occurred to Doc Ryan of Ryan & Brown, at 10
o'clock Wednesday at the Medford [Saloon]. Mr. Ryan had a call to the
telephone and in arising to obey the call he in some manner swung the
heavy safe door, which caught the middle finger of his right hand,
badly smashing the member. While it is believed that amputation will
not be necessary, the accident caused Mr. Ryan extreme pain and will
put him out of commission for some weeks.Medford
Mail Tribune, November 30, 1910, page 1

The Pacific Banker, April
29, 1911

The Pacific Banker, April
29, 1911

PLOT TO ROB OLD BANKPioneer Institution at Jacksonville Was to Have Been Victim of Yeggmen.

Medford Sun:
A yeggmen's plot to rob the Bank of Jacksonville, owned by C. C.
Beekman, was thwarted the last ten days by the sheriff's office through
a "tip" furnished by the Pinkerton Detective Agency of Portland. For
the last week men have guarded the building in anticipation of the
coming of the safecrackers. As a precautionary move, the largest
portion of the money in the safes of the institution and valuable
papers were shipped away.
The tip that the bank was to be robbed came first
from the Pinkertons at Portland, where the plot was hatched and the
details of the raid made. The plans of the robbers, six in number, were
told to the detective agency by a man "on the inside." The Pinkertons
have charge of the protection of the bank, and sent a man to
Jacksonville and laid plans for the capture of the yeggs. Every train
reaching this city was also guarded by Pinkertons, to shadow the
suspects when they arrived.
As soon as the news became known the sheriff's
office placed a guard around the bank. It was intended to keep the news
secret, but citizens of Jacksonville were curious to know why armed men
were wandering around the building at night, and the information
leaked out that a plot to rob the bank was being watched. The sheriff's
office admitted last night that they had been guarding the bank for a
week and that the money had been shipped away.
The Bank of Jacksonville is one of the oldest and
richest financial institutions in the state, and its vaults are
generally well laden with gold dust and money. Because of its isolation
and the lack of police protection it was viewed by the yeggs as "soft."

Ashland Tidings, March 17, 1913, page 1

SAFE IS DYNAMITEDStar Mercantile Store at Rogue River
Burglarized.

Rogue
River, April 14.--Two cracksmen dynamited the safe of the Star
Mercantile Company at Rogue River at 3 o'clock Friday morning and
escaped with $150 in cash. Officers north and south are on the lookout
for the men, while Deputy Sheriff Sandry with a posse are on the trail
of the men. They made their getaway on a railroad speeder stolen from
the section house.
The men made a thorough job of cracking
the safe.
They fired four charges of dynamite after piling mattresses over and
about the safe. The explosions completely wrecked the strongbox, its
door being blown a distance of 20 feet. Windows in the store were
shattered and goods jarred from the shelves.
J. W. Jacobs, who formerly owned the
store, heard
the explosions and set about an investigation. He soon determined that
the store was being robbed and immediately went for help, summoning Sam
Sandry. When they had returned to the scene the men had left.
The cracksmen were traced to the Rogue
River depot,
where they stole a speeder and escaped. It was first believed they had
gone south, but a tramp later in the day stated that a speeder had
passed him about 3:30 o'clock going north.
Word was dispatched at once up and down
the line and
officers notified to keep a lookout for the two men. No description was
secured, the only thing left behind being a searchlight which they
overlooked in their hurry.Jacksonville
Post, April 19, 1913, page 1

A new $1500 safe has
been purchased by the county court for the treasurer's office."Local News,"
Jacksonville Post, November 22, 1913, page 3

The new safe for the
county treasurer's office arrived and was installed in the vault this
week."Local News,"
Jacksonville Post, December 6, 1913, page 3

YEGGMAN LOOTS MEDFORD LUMBER
COMPANY'S SAFE

A
nimble-fingered crook entered
the office of the Medford Lumber Company sometime between Saturday
night and Monday morning, and with nothing but his sense of touch and a
cold chisel opened the safe, securing $60 in money and two county
warrants. The thief solved the combination of the safe and opened the
inner drawers with a chisel. The robbery was discovered this morning,
and the loss reported to the police.
Employees of the lumber company told
Chief Hittson
that a man has been coming to the yards every night, they thought to
sleep, but that every morning tracks were found about the office door.
Therefore the police deduct that the cracksman has been working on the
combination for three or four nights, and is an expert safe worker.
The lock of the inner door was punched
in with the
cold chisel and each door demolished, and the contents searched. One of
these drawers is missing. All the valuable papers and notes of the firm
were carefully piled by the prowler underneath the safe, where they
were found this morning. The safe's interior is a wreck.
The police have no clues, and Chief
Hittson issued a
warning to all owners of safes in the outer districts to be on guard.Medford Mail
Tribune, January 12, 1914, page 4

MIDNIGHT BATTLE WITH YEGGMEN
FOUGHT, TALENT

Jim
and Walter Garvin of Talent engaged in a shooting duel Tuesday night
about midnight with three yeggs, who were attempting to rob the Talent
post office. When discovered the robbers were preparing to crack the
safe, and had secured 30 cents left in a money drawer. One of the yeggs
cut his hand in leaping through a back window, and this morning a man
with his hand tied up was seen going on a freight towards Ashland. The
Ashland police were notified.
The Garvins first heard the safecrackers
when they
were breaking into the S.P. section tool house, where they secured a
couple of picks and a sledge hammer. They took their Winchesters and
followed the trio. For a time they lost track of their prey, but
finally located them hammering away at the post office safe. While they
were deciding on a line of action, the lookout of the gang came out
from the doorway.
The two watchers ordered him to halt,
and he replied
with a shot from a six-shooter. The Garvins returned the fire, and
seven or eight shots were fired. The two on the inside kicked out a
back window and made their escape, being joined by the lookout, who
ducked around the side of the building under the Garvin fire. The three
ran towards the railroad track and escaped.
The shots woke up the town, and a posse
was
organized. The police of Medford and Ashland and the sheriff's office
were notified and a watch kept for the criminals.Medford
Mail Tribune, June 24, 1914, page 2

Live Tips on Post Office Robbers

The Talent post office robbers, the Colestin post office and a number
of other robberies were partially explained as the result of a
confession made by E. R. Erom, the Portuguese who recently robbed the
Greek bunkhouse on South Front Street in Medford last week. Erom made
the confession in the county jail in Jacksonville Saturday. He stated
that he had seen a gang of safebreakers at work preparing liquid
nitroglycerine from cracking a safe in the county seat.
Although maintaining that he was not a member of the
gang, Erom told where he had seen them, told how they got the powder [sic]
and how the preparation was made. That he knew their names he denied.
According to Erom the making of the preparation was carried on in a
vacant lot in Jacksonville, and it was while the gang was getting
prepared to make a haul that he heard them say something of robbing the
Beekman Bank. The big haul was set for Thursday night, but nothing
materialized. Evidently thinking it too much of a chance in the county
seat, the burglars transferred their operations to Gold Hill, where
they robbed the Johnson saloon. Since the arrest of Erom five robberies
have occurred in the valley.

Ashland Tidings, July 27, 1914, page 1

YEGGMAN'S OUTFIT FOUND BY MEGO

What
is believed to be the explosive outfit of safe crackers, consisting of
a yard or so of fuse and two boxes of giant powder caps, was found by
Chief of Police Mego under the Fruit Association warehouse Sunday
morning. Yeggmen use the giant caps to make "soup," which is dynamite
in liquid form, and it may have been a gang was getting ready for
operations in these parts, and forgot where they hid their material.
The explosive is held at the police station. Another theory is that it
was hidden by a prospector.Medford
Mail Tribune, September 22, 1914, page 2

The Farmers and Fruitgrowers Bank of this
city are remodeling their vault and installing a burglar-proof lining
in it. The present vault is too small to accommodate their business,
and about twenty feet of additional floor space is being added to it.
The entire inside surface of the new vault will be lined with plates of
steel [and] charged with electricity at all times, and if any attempt
should be made to penetrate the walls, etc., or open the doors of the
vault, an instantaneous alarm will be sounded by bell gongs on the
street."Local and Personal," Medford Sun, April 20, 1915, page 6

YEGGMEN MAKING DYNAMITE SOUP WHEN
ARRESTED

Further
developments in the cases of Fred Chipp and George Rold, arrested
Thursday by the sheriff's office and the police, indicate that they
were outfitted for an extensive campaign of criminal operations in the
Rogue River Valley and are highly undesirable citizens. A search of
their possessions this morning brought to light enough nitroglycerin to
blow the business district of Medford to smithereens and a set of steel
drills of high-grade texture and penetrating power. They also possessed
automatic pistols.
Though goods belonging to the Robinett
store at
Central Point and a general merchandise store at Eugene were found in
their possession, the police are holding the men for participation in
safe-blowing escapades and holdups at Roseburg. Rold was arrested by
Sergeant Pat Mego Thursday night after he had tried to sell a pair of
shoes on the street. The third member of the gang escaped.
It now develops that when Sheriff
Singler and
Constable Al Hammond swooped down upon the gang in the Bear Creek
"jungles" Thursday morning they were engaged in making "soup," as
nitroglycerin is called. "Soup" is the boiled extract of dynamite, the
explosive being put in a pan of simmering water. The grease comes to
the top and is skimmed off, being emptied with extreme care into small
bottles.
The police received a tip that the men
were
quartered on Bear Creek, but the prey was flushed before all were
caught. The gang is thought to have had out peddlers disposing of their
stolen goods and collecting data on the location of safes, back doors,
etc.
The authorities looked for dugs in the
camp of the
trio, in the hope that they would find something to connect them with
the robbery of the Rogue River bank. The description of one of the
arrested men tallies with that of the gent who a week ago held up three
operators in the Southern Pacific depot.
The arrested men refuse to talk.Medford
Mail Tribune, June 4, 1915, page 6

BURGLARS RAID SECOND HAND STORE

Burglars
entered the Eads second hand store on South Fir Street Friday night and
by clever manipulation of the combination of the safe opened the same
and secured $4. Razors, knives and a camera were taken by the burglar.
The loss was discovered this morning when the store was opened. The
fact that the prowler opened the safe causes him to be classed by the
police as a clever crook.Medford
Mail Tribune, June 19, 1915, page 2

YEGGS FAIL IN ATTEMPT TO ROB
LUMBER VAULT

Yeggs
entered the office of the Medford Lumber Company Sunday night and
attempted to blow open the safe. They drilled holes in the door and
poured in the nitroglycerin, but the explosive was so weak that when
discharged it only cracked the door, preventing any entrance. Nothing
was in the safe but papers. The attempted robbery was reported to the
police this morning.Excerpt, Medford
Mail Tribune, September 6, 1915, page 4

The safe in the Paxson
drug store at
Central Point was blown open by burglars Wednesday morning, the force
of the explosion wrecking the interior of the building. A small amount
of money and some jewelry were taken.
"Local News," Jacksonville
Post, May 6, 1916, page 3

Cracksmen Make Haul at Phoenix

Cracksmen
blew the safe of the Phoenix Mercantile Company and the post office at
Phoenix at an early hour Tuesday and got away without leaving a clue
with $200 of the company's money, $65 of the post office funds, $18 of
the city funds, and $3 of the Phoenix High School students' fund, all
of which they obtained from the big safe. They did not take a single
one of the large quantity of stamps in the safe, however.
In addition to the other plunder
obtained from the
safe they took away checks to the value of $43 and a $15 county warrant.
From a smaller safe which was unlocked,
as it was
broken into some time ago and had never been repaired, the burglars
took $12 in gold nuggets and $3.50 in gold dust.
The burglary took place at 3:30 a.m., as
at that
time the muffled sound of the safe blowing was heard by several
residents who did not think anything about it at the time. The burglary
was not discovered until Tuesday morning, when the store was opened.
Sheriff Ralph Jennings was notified at
once and was
soon on the scene. From the investigation he made and the marks on the
safe there is no doubt that the cracksmen had to fire three charges of
explosive before they got into the inner compartment of the safe.
Entrance was gained to the store by
prying open a door and breaking a lock.
There seems to be no doubt in the minds
of Sheriff
Jennings and others that the work was done by professional cracksmen.
Additional color is lent to this theory by the fact that the burglars
did not take any stamps, as an attempt to dispose of stamps might lead
to detection.Ashland Tidings, May
14, 1917, page 3

STATE BANK OF TALENT VISITED BY
BURGLARS

The State Bank of Talent was visited by robbers during the night, and a
clean haul of its contents was frustrated by the burglar-proof locks on
the safe and vault, as the burglars had ample time to secure all the
valuables had they been able to reach them. As it was, the only damage
results in the permanent closing of the vault until it is sawed open by
an expert, and the blowing open of the bottom of the safe. These
damages are covered by insurance.
When Assistant Cashier H. D. Badger
opened the doors
this morning at the usual hour he was greeted with a rush of acrid
fumes of an explosive. A hasty glance about the room revealed the fact
that the burglars had been in the building, so before making a further
examination he hastened to the residence of Cashier E. B. Adamson, who
went to the bank and found a scene of wild disorder in the building.
On taking stock of the damage it was
discovered the
knob of the combination had been blown or knocked off, and the handle
opening the door had also been broken off. By doing this the bolts of
the Anakin lock that had lately been installed in the vault were
released, and the door was sealed fast, past the opening of outsiders.
Finding the vault could not be opened,
it is
presumed the intruders next turned their attention to the safe which
stands in the bank. This is a burglar-proof steel affair, and a glance
would assure anyone that its contents could not be reached, so they
apparently decided the only thing to do with securing the contents of
that strongbox was to open the door at the base of the safe. This was
blown open with a charge of nitroglycerin or some other high explosive,
as the inside plate of the door was blown across the room.
If the robbers had expected to secure a
rich haul
from this aperture they were again disappointed, as the compartment
only held a stock of pennies wrapped in rolls, and some papers of the
bank. These were not disturbed so far as [is] known today, the robbers
evidently being after larger game than this.
In the interior of the bank were a
mattress and
several quilts owned by the Talent Irrigation Company that had been
taken from a storeroom next door. These had undoubtedly been procured
to muffle the sound of the explosion. A crowbar recognized as coming
from the S.P. section house, a pick, sledgehammer and axe were also
left in the bank. The gasoline station at the Talent garage was also
broken open, and it is supposed the burglars had stolen gas for an
automobile.
Entrance was made through the back door
of the bank.
This was locked and the key left in the lock as usual last night. When
the bank was entered this morning the back door was closed but not
latched. The key, which was picked up from a chair near the door, bore
marks of having been caught by a sharp instrument which had undoubtedly
been inserted in the keyhole and used to turn the key.
The clock in the bank had stopped at
3:26. It is
supposed the concussion from the explosion caused the clock to stop,
giving credence to the belief the burglary was committed at that hour.
As the burglary was not discovered until nearly 9 o'clock this morning
the robbers without doubt were by that time many miles away.
While several persons in Talent stated
they heard a
noise like an explosion sometime during the night, it had failed to
alarm anyone, and no one had been apprised of the burglary until Mr.
Badger opened the bank door shortly before 9 o'clock. The sheriff was
notified immediately of the burglary and sent a deputy up, who has been
looking over the scene and doing all that is possible to secure a clue
to the robbers. The loss sustained is only that which falls to the
vault door and the safe. Owing to the nature of the attempt at robbery
the Anakin lock successfully frustrated the opening of the vault where
the deposit boxes contained the loot the intruders were undoubtedly
after, as that form of burglary was such that the lock only made the
door more secure.
While the books are locked up safe and
sound in the
vault, Cashier Adamson conducted business as usual in the bank today.
He has sent for a safebreaker to open the vault, and this will be done
as soon as the latter arrives. Photographer B. H. Hinthorne went down
to Talent this morning and took a photograph of the blown-up safe.Ashland
Weekly Tidings, March 23, 1921, page 2

ATTEMPT MADE TO ROB SAFE OF F.
BUREAU

According to Ralph Jennings, Jackson County sheriff, who was a visitor
in this city this morning, an attempt was made sometime during the
night to rob the Farm Bureau Office in Medford. Jennings was in Ashland
searching the railroad yards for a man likely to have committed the
burglary.
The safe in the office was badly wrecked
by the
burglar, according to Jennings, but it is not known as yet whether the
robbery was successful, since the Farm Bureau officials have not as yet
been able to open their safe.
The dial was badly smashed, and the
handle on the
safe knocked off, according to Jennings. It appears that some
nitroglycerin was used in the robbery, but it was not exploded. A
substance that the officers believe might have been used to hold the
"soup" in place was found on the outside of the safe when the robbery
was discovered. For this reason the insurance men who have viewed the
safe declared it dangerous to open it, for it is their belief there may
be some of the nitroglycerin in the container. An expert will be sent
for to open the safe.
According to the Farm Bureau officials,
there was
little of value in the safe, since most of the money was banked last
yesterday afternoon.Ashland
Daily Tidings, January 20, 1925, page 1

BURGLAR BUSTS INTO 2 SAFES OF
CITY FIRMS

A
burglar, believed to have been the same man who attempted to rob the
Farm Bureau office in Medford Monday night, last night entered two
establishments in Ashland and attempted to enter safes in those places.
At the Fruit and Produce office, the
knob of the
safe was knocked off, but as yet it is not known whether the burglar
was successful in entering the safe, since the officers have as yet
been unable to open the safe. The same action was taken at the office
of Swift and Company, where again the knob was knocked off the safe
door.Ashland Daily Tidings, January
20, 1925, page 1

It doesn't pay to be a burglar.
Particularly unprofitable, robbery
percentages show,
is the gentle art of taking something that doesn't belong to you from a
bank. The stickup game is virtually impossible in modern protected
banks like those of Medford, and in this city the night thief who
attempts to work a vault combination or open a safe by force will in
the future have no chance of getting anything but a stiff jail sentence.
Big city banks have practically all
installed a
highly sensitive electric alarm system manufactured in Minneapolis.
This device, it has been proved, makes safe and vault robberies an
absolute impossibility.
Three of Medford's banks this month will
be able to
announce installation of this alarm system, the average cost of which
is $3000. The night marauder cannot even slightly move a combination
knob without sending a circuit message to the police and to the
community by means of a great warning gong.
Placement of the system in the Medford
National,
Jackson County and First National banks provides for a double steel
plate, and between them a tinfoil to carry three separate wire
circuits. After being set off, the gong rings for 15 minutes, and
automatically resets itself and sounds anew if further attacks are made.
E. H. Hauptvogle, in charge of the three
local
installations, says that an expert cracksman cannot get to the contents
of a vault without giving himself away. "One-thousandth of an ampere
power turns in the alarm," declared the mechanician. The entire system
is electrically controlled, and the eight-day clock with its batteries
is so effective that were an outside cable or wire to be cut the gong
would ring incessantly. It is impossible, said Hauptvogle, to put the
gong out of business.
In Medford, a city of 10,000, several
millions in
cash and securities rest in deposit boxes. With the three
installations, complete protection is now given at all four Medford
banks.
Banking places in this city have the
finest homes of
any city on the coast under 25,000 population. Insurance companies
value one of the structures at $142,000. Before long, it is predicted,
Medford's four banks will have total deposits of $5,000,000.Jackson
County News, March 12, 1926, page 1

The Gates Auto Company has moved its office to the center front room of
their building and has installed the latest steel furniture, including
filing cases, desks and counters, and have put in a new safe to match.
This change was made to keep in touch with increasing business and for
convenience and economy."Personals," Medford
Mail Tribune, July 9, 1926, page 3

SAFE BLOWERS ARE BUSY
IN MEDFORD

Three
business places were visited by thieves Wednesday night, according to
police headquarters. The safe at the Trowbridge Cabinet Works was
broken open, seven dollars and a half and a pearl-handled knife taken.
Nothing of value was taken from the Trowbridge Iron Works except some
tools, which were afterward found at Semon's cement plant on North
Riverside Avenue, where a safe was also looted and $68.45 stolen. The
robberies were discovered early Thursday morning, and police notified.
Local authorities believe thefts to be from transients.Jackson County
News, September 17, 1926, page 1

Armistice night Brown's
Electric Shop on
South Bartlett was entered and the safe broken open and robbed of $80.
Entrance was gained through a side window.

----

Shortly before
four o'clock Sunday morning Rankin Estes' place on South Front Street
was entered and the safe blown open. Entrance was gained by boring
holes in a panel of a rear door and forcing the panel out. The work was
evidently the work of amateurs, as a gigantic charge of explosives was
used, blowing an inner door and box of the safe clear through into the
barber shop in the rear. It also broke out the window in the front of
the store. An army overcoat was used as a muffler and had a large hole
shot through it. About $2,000 was in the safe. Bills and checks were
scattered all over the floor and shot to bits, so evidently the robbers
did not get very much of the contents of the safe. The explosion awoke
guests of the Nash Hotel adjoining the building and was also heard by
the night help in Bob's Restaurant on West Main Street.Bliss Heine, "News Notes from Medford," Central Point American, November
19, 1926, page 5

GRANTS
PASS, Oct. 24--Special--Broken by physical pain and mental torture, as
he was held in solitary confinement in the Josephine County jail, Henry
Carr, charged with the attempted robbery of the Golden Rule store here
on October 13, yesterday made a complete confession of the ill-fated
affair.
In his confession he attempted to shield
his
brother, Raymond, saying the latter slept while he placed the "soup"
and attempted to loot the safe. Premature explosion of [a] charge of
nitroglycerin wrecked his plans.
The accident happened, according to the
story told
by Harry to authorities, when the nitroglycerin had been poured into
the cavity behind the dial, which had been loosened by blows with a
hammer. The injured man is alleged to have said that he believed he
must have pushed against the dial with his hand while soaping the
cracks and exploded the nitro prematurely.
The blast spun Harry around several
times, according
to his reported confession, and he was unable to tell whether he had
been shot by a night watchman or under what circumstances he had been
stunned. After a few minutes, so his alleged confession goes, he began
to understand that the burst of exploding nitroglycerin had caused his
injury.
The hand which had received the brunt of
the
explosion, according to Harry, was bleeding profusely and caused him
pain. He dragged himself upstairs and found a blanket in which he
wrapped his hand. Then he found his way, he said, to the hotel room
where his brother was sleeping, so the reported confession of the
accident goes.
Following the entrance of the injured
man into the
bedroom of the brother, Raymond is reported to have seen his
predicament and assisted Harry in reaching Roseburg. The two brothers
drove their own car as far as that city, trying to reach Portland,
Harry is reported to have said.
The nitroglycerin used to blow up the
safe was
secured, according to the alleged confessed burglar, by boiling some
giant powder sticks and retaining the residue of almost pure
nitroglycerin. This peculiar substance is easily exploded by
concussion, and according to Sheriff Lister, when warm it is more
sensitive than when cold. His theory of the premature explosion is that
the nitro had become warm in Harry's pocket and had been especially
sensitive.Ashland
Daily Tidings, October 24, 1929, page 2

"There
was gold in that
safe--raw gold and coined gold which made men feel rich and secure in
the early 1900s," the man said.
He was looking at the round contraption,
slightly
resembling an old washing machine, which stands today presumably empty
and abandoned within the vault at the Farmers and Fruitgrowers Bank
Building at the [northwest] corner of West Main and Grape Streets in
Medford.
The building was vacated last weekend when sold
to
Pacific Power & Light Company by Bayard Getchell of Medford and
his
sister, Mrs. Valerie Howell of Honolulu.
Its tenants, Beatty and McDougal Insurance and R.
W. Dean
Lumber Company, are now comfortably located across the corner at 134 W.
Main St.
They didn't use the gold safe during the more
than 20
years they were located in the bank building. They didn't have the
combination to open it, Robert C. Beatty explained.
What is to become of the safe made of manganese
steel and
copper-jacketed to defy all bank robbers' tools, past and present--the
file, the drill and the torch--no one chooses to say.
Getchell, whose father, the late Delroy Getchell,
was
president of the bank for many years, only knows that when the bank was
sold to U.S. National Bank after his father's death, the new owners of
the bank properties were not interested in the "gold safe." They knew
of a number of them in the state, Getchell said. So the safe remained
in the vault when the building was rented to other tenants.
They couldn't have taken it through the door,
anyway,
according to Roland W. Dean, who assumes that the vault was built
around the very heavy safe.
Getchell recalls that it went off the blocks once
and
getting it back on was a major project which caused the whole building
to shake.
Getchell is convinced there is no gold in it now.
His
father had great respect for gold and the gold standard. He was very
unhappy when gold was called in during the Roosevelt administration,
but he responded to the call. The safe held gold and currency, never
silver. The copper jacket made it torchproof, because copper absorbs
the heat.
The Farmers and Fruitgrowers Bank opened in
Medford as
the city's fourth bank Dec. 23, 1909, according to an advertisement in
the Mail Tribune. Gold
safes
were used by most banks when gold was in circulation. Dean remembers a
smaller model which was placed in the window of the First National Bank
when it was located on South Central Avenue. It is now in the Olsen
Confectionery at Eagle Point after a series of ownerships.
From the bank it was moved to Johnson's Jewelry
Store on
East Main Street, owned and operated by the late Johnny Johnson. Goetz
Lumber Company was its next owner. The lumber company sold to Red
Blanket Lumber Company, and that company sold the safe to the City of
Eagle Point.
According to Jake Olsen, who now uses the
impregnable
device for safekeeping of money and other valuables, the city staff
couldn't get the safe to work. He took it apart, cleaned it and put it
back together again. The safe has two dials and two time clocks and he
got them all back into efficient operation.
Like the safe reposing in the vacated building in
Medford, it is made of manganese steel, copper-jacketed. The man who
moved the safe for Olsen estimated it weighed 6,000 pounds. Olsen
considers it a "very valuable safe." To make one like it today, he
volunteered, would cost a fortune. He has had it for about six years.Excerpt, Medford
Mail Tribune, December 14, 1968, page 3

ATTEMPT TO ROB CREAMERY SAFE

An attempted safe blowing at the Gold Seal Creamery last night resulted
in a badly damaged safe and the loss of two dollars from the office
till, police reported today. The safe door was battered as a result of
efforts to break it open, and drilling was necessary to open it this
morning. No clues were left behind, authorities said.Medford
Mail Tribune, March 30, 1930, page 2

Two men entered the Medford Domestic
Laundry
building on North Riverside through a rear door, came into the front
office and rolled out a small iron safe, which they loaded into a car
and drove away. The safe was made in 1852 and is of an old-fashioned
type requiring a key to open, having no combination. There was no money
in the steel box, and its contents consisted of books and office
records.
Officers found tracks of two men leading
from the
laundry to a car in a camp ground at the rear of the building. The
burglary was discovered about 2:30 a.m.
The laundry was notified this afternoon
that the
safe was located along a country road between Medford and Eagle Point,
where it had been left as the burglars forced the door open and did not
find the money they expected. The strongbox was one of the first to be
brought into southern Oregon and for years was in use at the old
Beekman Bank in Jacksonville. It was being kept at the laundry office
more as a relic than for its safety service."Burglaries in Medford Over Night," Medford Mail Tribune, May
14, 1931, page 1

HEAVY SAFES ARE
MOVING PROBLEM FOR COURTHOUSE

All county offices Saturday were in the midst of moving into the new
courthouse. Business went along as usual despite the disorder and the
hubbub. The chief problem in the moving is the handling of the heavy
safes and vaults. Eads Brothers were busy all day Friday moving the
safe in the treasurer's office. The safe in the clerk's office also
promises to be a difficult job because of its size and weight.Excerpt, Medford
Mail Tribune, August 21, 1932, page 5

Nitroglycerin poured through the cracks of the safe door at the
Southern Pacific railway station at Gold Hill last night failed to jar
the safe open, foiling the would-be thieves who also raided two other
Gold Hill establishments in a series of depredations which bear marked
similarity to a raid conducted on the same three places on May 27 of
this year.
At about 2:00 o'clock this morning, Gold
Hill
residents heard a blast in the neighborhood of the railroad station,
but believed it to be thunder. This morning it was discovered that the
door had been "jimmied," and the safe tampered with."Three Gold Hill Places Entered, Safe Blast Fails," Medford Mail Tribune, July
22, 1935, page 1

YEGGS TRY AGAIN TO OPEN S.P. SAFE

On the night of July 16, 1936 unidentified marauders broke into the
office of the Southern Pacific freight depot on Front Street here, and
hopelessly damaged the heavy steel safe in an effort to get to the
contents. The safe had to be sent to San Francisco for repairs before
it could be used again.
Last night the freight office was again
broken into,
and a steel crowbar used in an effort to jimmy the repaired strongbox.
The combination lock handle was battered half off, but the intruder, or
intruders, were frightened away before their job was completed or else
gave up in disgust.
The joke, if there is any, is on the
persistent
crook. Southern Pacific officials announced today that the safe is not
used as a money depository, but merely as a fireproof box in which to
keep valuable papers, which, however, are valuable only to themselves.Medford
Mail Tribune, October 30, 1936, page 1

Groceteria Market Safe Broken
Open by Stolen Torch

An estimated $2,000 to $3,000 was stolen from the safe at the
Groceteria Food Market, 200 West Sixth Street, early today.
City police, and Bill Gates, Groceteria
corporation
president, said the theft was made possible by another earlier
burglary. The unknown thieves stole a large acetylene cutting torch
from the A. Z. Dean Motor Company across the street, and used it to
"crack" the Groceteria safe.Use Hand Truck
In reconstructing the crime, police and
Gates said
the thieves apparently took the safe from the store office to a heavily
insulated cooling room on a hand truck. The same truck was used to
carry the cutting torch equipment from the Dean establishment to the
Groceteria. [A close
examination of
the photos reveals the hand truck is the one normally used to transport
the tanks around the garage; the safe was likely rolled to the cooler
on its casters.]

The safe's normal
location in the store office. Click on the images for a larger view.

The thieves broke into Dean's through a window and into the Groceteria
by climbing a telephone pole to the roof and coming down an air vent,
police said.Not 'Safe Men'
The burglars apparently were not "safe
men," Gates
said, because they attempted to cut the safe's door off at the hinges,
and were unable to break through. Then they cut through the outer metal
wall of the safe and chiseled through three inches of concrete to the
inner wall, cutting that with the torch. The insulated walls of the
room kept the noise of the operation from reaching the street, police
believe.

The scene
of the crime. The safe is visible lying on its side just beyond the
tanks,its
casters to the right.

Gates estimated the burglars were in the building several hours, and
they apparently snacked on the store's food supplies during the "job."

The hole in the
concrete side of the safe. The cylinder on the left is the handle of a
hatchet; a bushel basket is visible on the right.

Estimates Loss
He added that he could "only estimate"
the amount
taken, and an audit was being made this morning to determine the exact
amount of loss. The safe and its contents were covered by insurance, he
said.
"Tubby" Dean, proprietor of the firm
from which the
torch was taken, added insult to injury today. He sent Gates a bill for
30 cents to pay for the acetylene gas used by the safecrackers.Medford
Mail Tribune, November 6, 1951, page 1

A. Z. "Tubby" Dean, left,
receives his 30-cent check from Bill Gates. The sign on the safe
reads "They expected T-bone steaks but found only cheap inflation
money." This photo
ran in the Groceteria's ad in the Mail Tribune on November 9, 1951.

Safe
Blown Open But 2 Suspects Nabbed

The big walk-in safe at the Mason Ehrman & Co. warehouse and
office
on Sage Rd. was blown open and robbed last night.
Two men, brothers, were arrested shortly
thereafter
and are being held in connection with the crime. Between $800 and
$1,000 in currency was taken, but has been recovered.
The men were apprehended by the combined
efforts of
state and city police and sheriff's deputies. One shot was fired before
the men were arrested, but no one was wounded.Salesman Makes
Report
The crime was discovered when Elmer
Dowery Hampson,
911 Dakota St., a Mason Ehrman salesman, returned to the office late in
the evening to slip some sales orders through a slot in the office
door. He saw smoke in the office, and the open safe.
Hampson returned to North Central Ave.
and
telephoned officers at 11:50 p.m. State police immediately dispatched
four officers and notified city police, who were just changing shifts
and sent seven men, and the sheriff's office, who sent two deputies.
The officers surrounded the building.
The two men,
apparently seeing the patrol cars approaching, went up on the roof of
the building. Police said they were armed with a .22 caliber rifle, but
did no shooting.Shot Fired in Air
An officer fired one shot in the air as
the men ran
when police approached. After that they gave up with no further
resistance. They were taken into custody at 12:42 a.m.
They are being questioned this morning
and are
lodged in the county jail. The big safe
door was
blown open with the use of dynamite powder. The smaller safe inside was
"punched," that is, the dial was knocked off and the door opened with a
sledge hammer.
The suspects are identified as Glen
Eugene Crow, 31,
and his brother, Delbert Lee Crow, 33, both of Carthage, Mo.Medford
Mail Tribune, July 20, 1955, page 1

Two Men Held Here Admit Part in
140 Safe Jobs, Burglaries

Delbert Lee and Glenn Eugene Crow, held in the Jackson County jail,
have admitted in signed statements that they are part of a seven-man
gang that has taken part in some 140 safe jobs and burglaries in
southwest Missouri.Total $500,000
Law enforcement officers estimate that
property
damage and value of articles taken by the gang is more than $500,000.
The Crows were captured here by state
and city
police and sheriff's deputies while blowing the big walk-in safe at the
Mason Ehrman & Co. warehouse north of Medford on July 20. They
had
taken between $800 and $1,000.
Sheriff Howard Gault, with sheriffs
Glenn Hendrix
and George Hickam of Green and Jasper counties, Mo., are continuing
interrogation of the brothers this afternoon. The Missouri lawmen
arrived here Saturday.
Glenn Crow, 31, is tagged the "brains"
of the
smooth-running Crow-McCarthy gang of the Midwest state. The seven in
the past years have pulled 140 safe and burglary thefts in Missouri
alone.$7,000 Robbery
Included in the gang's escapades are a
$7,000
jewelry store robbery in Joplin, Mo. and a $3,300 supermarket
safe-blowing in Lamar, Mo.
One of the seven is now in Folsom
Prison, two are free on bond in Missouri, and two are still at large.
Hendrix and Hickam said the gang always
manages to
eat and drink some milk while pulling a job. "Some lunch meat or empty
milk bottles are left at the scene," Sheriff Hickam declared, "and I
know it's them."Use Warning System
The gang operates with a train of three
or four
autos, sometimes making several trips to cart away their merchandise.
Delbert Crow, 33, is a radio technician and devised a walkie-talkie
warning system.
He stands outside the place being
looted, and when a
prowl car or beat policeman appears promptly notifies his cohorts
inside by radio. When all is clear, he gives them the word and
they go back to work.
The three sheriffs say that one of the
two Crow
brothers has been in on every one of the 140 burglaries, and both of
them on most of the jobs.
The two brothers pled guilty to the
theft Wednesday and await sentence from the circuit court.Medford
Mail Tribune, August 1, 1955, page 1

Stolen Safe Found by CreekBy MRS. SAM ELLIOTT

Gold Hill--On April 8, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Allen, Mr. and Mrs. John
Wisley and family, and Mr. and Mrs. George Evans and family, Central
Point; Mrs. Geneva Clark and children, and Mrs. Verna Martin and
family, Grants Pass, met at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Smith on
Sardine Creek to go prospecting.
Just below the Smith home, Allen saw
something
across the safe that looked like a safe. It was, and proved to be the
safe stolen from the Greyhound bus depot in Grants Pass April 3.
Many important papers were found intact,
plus a few pennies missed by the thief.Medford
Mai Tribune, April 13, 1956, page 3